I'm Thankful For

I'd be super thankful if my boss would let me leave right now, but it doesn't look like he's going to. I'm currently done with everything I needed to do today and am answering the phones. That is, if they were actually ringing, which they aren't. Oh well, I will kill time with this.

This year I am thankful for:

My Loving Husband
He's just as sweet and lovable as he ever was, maybe more. We've been married for a couple days shy of two and half years now, and I can't imagine life without him. It's amazing how nicely we've fallen into our roles as husband and wife. I love him and everything he does for me.

Our House
We've been in our house a year and half, and it's really truely become our home. Milo and Maggie, dinners around the table, new drapes, wicker chairs on the porch, evenings spent watching TV, all of this is home to me. I love it!

Our Church
This year, we finally buckled down and found a church home. We began attending Peace United Methodist during Lent, and it has been a great fit. We've been getting involved, meeting new people, and worshipping God ever since. Those who don't go to church, just don't get the feeling that church can give you; it's just one more thing that has made this year great.

Family
My family has been through a lot this year. My Grandma Hickey passed away in January, which was extremely hard, but it has made me realize just that much more how important family is to me. I've been able to visit with family during our vacation to North Carolina and get to know some of "the cousins" better. I've also started chatting more with my dad and Uncle Darryl on Skype. I was also able to meet more of Justin's family this year as well. He also lost a grandparent, and although the circumstances were not great, we got to visit with his family. I finally met his cousin and her little boy when we hosted them for a few days. I love how marriage has helped my family grow!

Tiffany and Jonas
I am so thankful for these great friends that they get a specail entry in this blog. I visited them in Chicago in March and was able to see their new home. I was also priviledged enough to be a part of their wedding in August. It was such a wonderful day, especially since two people that mean so much to me were married. Tiffany is a great friend, and although our relationship is different now that she is in Chicago, we are still close. I'm proud to be her "economist friend, " and I love talking about "my friends in Chicago."

Friends
I am also thankful for all my friends in general. Sarah J., Erin, James, Sarah P., Catey, Angel, Jaime, Jen, and Derek. You are all super great to me and super fun to have around. God has put some really great people in my life.

My Job
I am thankful for my job, not only because of this economy, but because of what it allows me to do. I am able to be home every evening and weekend with my husband. I was also introduced to accounting as it's applied to a business which has gotten me interesting in being a CPA. It's funny how you think you're killing time, but it leads you to the path that God has set out for you. " 'For I know tha plans I have for you,' declares the Lord. 'Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future' " Jeremiah 29:11

I know I'm forgetting a ton of great things. My life right now is just wonderful. Of course there are tough things that I endure, but the good makes them bearable. Happy Thanksgiving!

Lots happening

I say this almost everytime I blog, but I need to blog more often. I sit at my desk every day for lunch. I don't know why I don't use that time once a week or so and just update a little. Oh well, we'll try.
My summer has been very busy, but very fun. It began in May with our yearly trip to North Carolina. We had a good time for the most part, but it wasn't as fun as the previous year. There were more family members there, which I attribute to Grandma Hickey's passing. My sister and brother-in-law came this year with Josh, and that was really the reason Justin and I didn't enjoy ourselves as much. We do not get along with my brother-in-law. He annoyed us when he was around, and when we avoided him people got mad. We just couldn't win. And in avoiding him, we ended up avoiding my parents which is half the fun of going down, spending time with Mom and Dad. The thing that bothered me most is that my brother-in-law acts as if he's doing someone a big favor anytime he's around my family. It's like he's playing the martyr. Like he really didn't want to be on vacation here, but he's doing it because my sister wanted to and because my Dad is sick, and because Grandma died this year. Justin and I truely enjoy the calmness of Murphy and enjoy spending time with my parents since we don't live right down the street from them. We'll see who decides to go next year and then plan our trip accordingly. We might end up in a different house or we may decide to go down at a completely different time.
June was also busy. Tiffany's bridal shower was toward the end of June in Fremont, OH. I traveled there for the afternoon, then went from there to my mom and dad's to spend a little time with them and my grandma. The last weekend of June, I threw Justin a surprise 30th birthday party. It was so stressful getting everything planned and coordinated, but he was surprised and the party was a hit. It was a great night and Justin refers to it as "The best birthday ever."
The big event in July was Tiffany's bachelorette weekend in Chicago. Again, it was a lot of planning and coordinating, but it worked out well and was fun. I really enjoy traveling by myself, which I never thought I would. Flights to Chicago are so cheap, it makes a really fun little trip. I'm going to try not to invite myself over to Tiffany's too often, though it's so tempting to just get on a plane and get away for a little while.
Tiffany and Jonas' wedding is this coming weekend. I'm excited for it, and I'm also ready for it to be over with. There's just been so much going on surrounding it and so much drama and planning and drama and money and drama. I am reminded at least daily why I decided to get married and Vegas and why I didn't bring any bridesmaids or friends with me. But I am happy to be a part of Tiffany and Jonas' day, and I wouldn't have dreamt of saying no. I love them both very much and I'm happy the asked me to be part of it. Still, it has run its course and I am ready for all the planning and hard work to come to fruition.
Justin and I are also getting more involved at our new church. We didn't attend as much as I would have liked this summer. All the events and the traveling really made it difficult to go. But I was able to teach Sunday school to the 2s and Ts class three times. I taught the first two weeks of June and then again just yesterday. It was fun and it felt good to be around kids again. I thought about signing up to teach some throughout the school year, but I'm not sure it's a comittment I want to make.
Instead, Justin and I have decided to become small group leaders for the youth group. Our church has a large youth group with about 90 or so kids. Two Sundays a month they do an activity for youth group and the other two Sundays they do small groups. The groups are divided by age and gender and they're really kind of an open format. It's not really a Sunday school or a Bible study, just more of an open discussion forum on what matters to the youth. I'm not sure yet where each of us will be, but we're excited to get to know the kids and see where it goes.
Justin and I have also started Power 90, a 90 day in-home boot camp. We'd gotten bored with Weight Watchers and needed some sort of work out program. We'd kicked around the idea of joining a gym, but weren't sure of the expense and anything we tried like biking or walking just didn't pan out. Justin had seen P90X on TV, but after looking into it, we realized we needed something to get us in shape before going to that. I asked a friend from high school about the Beachbody programs since he'd had a lot of success with them. He recommended Power 90. So we ordered it and have completed one week so far. I think it's a program we can stick to and we'll see what kind of success we get from it.
Well, there's where my life has been. There's where it's headed. I'll try to keep it up-to-date from now on.